SPRINGFIELD – A July 18 ruling by the Illinois Supreme Court upholding the “no cash bail” provision of the SAFE-T Act is a disappointment, according to State Sen. Jil Tracy (R-Quincy), who says she has never supported the controversial law or the way it was forced through the General Assembly in late-night lame-duck session more than two years ago.
“The SAFE-T Act is an overly broad rewrite of our state’s criminal justice system that puts criminals above our law enforcement system and the safety of Illinoisans,” Tracy said. “Local judges are in the best position to make decisions based on the facts of a specific case, and sweeping legislation like this limits their ability to exercise necessary discretion.”
Tracy said the SAFE-T Act does not fully address the front-line concerns of public safety personnel tasked with protecting Illinoisans. “Front-line public safety personnel from throughout our state strongly opposed the ‘no cash bail’ provision, but their concerns were not heeded by the lawmakers who forced through this new law,” she said.
The 50th District Senator noted that the SAFE-T Act will also increase costs on police departments and local governments, meaning that many communities would likely see cuts to their local police departments, higher property taxes, or a combination of the two.
“I support our law enforcement personnel who work tirelessly to maintain public safety. Beyond just the ‘no cash bail’ provision, the SAFE-T Act is a blatant attack on the men and women who are charged with keeping our communities safe,” said Tracy.